Container



April 5, 1960 l.. H. Pl--OHL 2,931,494

CONTAINER Filed May 5, 1959 FIG.I FIG.2 f f AFT ME /IO AFT Fo Go CLE Fo Mou Us Mou U.

DEN FL DEN FIG.5

CONTAINER Louis H. Pfahl, Forest Hills, N.Y., assigner to pesign Center, luc., Long Island City, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application May 5, 1959, Serial No. 811,095

11 Claims. (Cl. 20G-78) The present invention relates to containers and the like, and more particularly to containers for packaging merchandise and other items for purposes of display or sale. This application is a continuation-impart of my copending patent application Serial No. 719,587, tiled March 6, 1958.

It is frequently desirable to package merchandise in packaged item.

Whether one or more of the individually plastic packaged items of merchandise are mounted on a single display card, it is desirable that each plastic package and contents be removable easily from the display card, and further that the contents be removable easily from the plastic package itself without destruction of the package. On the other hand, the contents should be retained inthe individual plastic packages in suchvmanner that accidental dislodgment will not occur. In my copending application referred to above a separate closure element for the container is required to retain the contents. But in the present invention, no such separate closure is required.

The principal object of the present invention has been the provision of a novel and improved container.

More particularly, it has been an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved container for holding merchandise for purposes of display and sale.

Another object of the invention has been the provision of a novel and improved container of the above type which is adapted for ready attachment to and removal from a display card but which forms itself a complete package for the merchandise.

Another object of the invention has been the provision of a container of the above type which can retain the packaged item without the use of a separate closure member but from which the packaged item may be removed without destruction of the package.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description.

The container of the invention comprises a hollow body portion having a shape and size conforming generally to thek article of merchandise to be packaged and having an open base through Which the article may be inserted and removed. A flange extends outwardly from the rim of the base throughout all or at least a substantial proportion of the rim. The body portion is provided with inwardly extending projections adjacent the rim at opposite sides thereof, the projections extending over a substantial proportion but not all of the length of the rim. The projections, which are formed in the Wall of the body portion, aiford a partial closure of the base and serve to retain the Varticle within the base. The container has suiiicient ilexibility to permit insertion and removal of the article ice ing one embodiment of the container of the inventionv operatively associated with the display card of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspecitve view showing the container of Fig. 2 and the article to be packaged therein;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and -Y Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the container of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a display card 10 which may be made of any suitable material but will generally be made from some form of paperboard. The card 10 is provided with an aperture or hole 11 which conforms generally `in size and shape to the outline of the container. The aperture 11 is provided with projections 12 and 13 on opposite sides thereof. These projections form tongues which reduce the diameter of the aperture in the region of extent of the projections 12 and 13. The display card 10 may have printed thereon any desired decorative or advertising matter, instructions or whatever else is deemed appropriate in connection with the article to be packaged. The card 10 .may be of any desired size and may contain a number of the aperturesl 11 in Vorder to accommodate a like number of the articles being displayed. These articles and these containers may be removed from the card 10 one at a time, and removed articles may be replaced.

The container comprises a body portion 14 having an open base 15 (Fig. 5). The body portion conforms rela tively closely in shape and size to the article 16 which is packaged therein. The rim of the open base 15 has an outwardly extending flange 17 which is integral with the body portion 14. In the illustration embodiment of the invention, the ange 17 extends completely around the base but it is only necessary that it extend over a sub-A stantial proportion of the length of the rim. As best shown in Fig. 4, the upper surface of the tlange 17 abuts against the under surface of the card 10 when the container is inserted in the aperture 11.

The body portion 14 has side walls 18 and 19, end walls 20 and 21, and a top wall 22, all integral. The side walls 18 and 19 are provided with inwardly extending projections 23 and 24, respectively. The projections 23 and 24 are located adjacent the rim of the open base 15 and extend along a considerable length of that rim. The actual longitudinal extent of the projections will depend to some extent upon the character of the article 16 and the closeness of tit of this article within the body portion 14. Thus, if there is a close tit'the projections may be shorter than if there is a loose fit. As illustrated, the projections 23 and 24 extend along an intermediate portion of the side walls 18 and 19, but could be otherwise 1ocated, for example, at the ends. Y

The projections 23 and 24 form a partial closure for the open base 15 and reduce the diameter of a portion of that base to an amount which is less than the corresponding width of the article 16. Hence the projections 23 and 2.4 serve to retain the article within the container. in order to permit the article 16 to be inserted in thereontainer and to be removed therefrom without-destruction I of the container, the projections 23 and 2.4Vandtrhe entire` container 14 are resilient. To-insert the article-vv lgivit is placed in the open base 15 and is forced inwardly past the projections 23 and 24.

will distort temporarily to permit passage of the article and the entire container will distort somewhat to effectively enlarge the diameter of the base between the projections, thus facilitating insertion of the article. Such distortion o -f the container Walls is facil-itated by having the projections 23 and 24 not extend the full length of the side walls.

. To remove the article from the container, pressure may be exerted thereon through the top wall 22, as with the thumb. For this purpose, the walls of the container should be suiciently flexible as not to break under the application of the necessary force. not be necessary to provide a container which will withstand more than a few insertions and removals of an article, Since generally such operations will be performed only in connection with a very close inspection of the goods prior to purchase. And such an inspection will not often be desired since if the container walls are transparent, as will usually be the case, the merchandise will be plainly visible from all sides. But if the merchandise is of such a character that reinsertion thereof by the purchaser after each use is desired, the container walls may be formed of a plastic suitable for that purpose.

When the article 16 is in place in the container, the latter is inserted through the aperture 11 until the flange 17 a'buts against the under surface of the card ith as best shown in Fig. 4.

The projections 23 and 24 are formed in the body portion 14 of the container in such a manner that corresponding recesses are formed in the outer wall of theV body portion, as shown at ZSIand 26. TheV tongues 12. and 13 provided in the rim of the aperture l1 extend into the recesses 26 and 25, respectively, and serve to retain the container and display card in the assembled relation shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The upper edges of the recesses 215 and 26, as shown in Fig. 4, are inclined so that disengagement of the container from the card may conveniently be effected without damage to the tongues 12 and 13. These tongues hold the container and card together, but flex when the container is pushed downwardly, thus permitting ready disassembly. The tongues 12. and 13` also flex to facilitate insertion of the container into the card.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof and in a specic use, various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A container for packaging an article on a card having an aperture adapted to accommodate said container, comprising a hollow body portion having a shape and sizev to accommodate therein the article of merchandise to be'packaged and having an open base through which said article may be inserted and removed, and a ange extending outwardly from the rim of said base throughout at least a substantial proportion of said rim, said body portion having a plurality of spaced inwardly extending projections adjacent said rim and extending vover a substantial proportion but not all of the length of said rim, said projections being formed in the walls of said body portion and affording a partial closure of said base thereby serving to retain said article within said body portion, said container having sutiicient flexibility to permit insertion and removal of said article through said partially closed base, the external walls of said body portion corresponding to said projections constituting recesses adapted to accommodate retaining tongues on the rim of the aperture of said card.

2. A container for packaging an article of merchandise on a display card having an aperture adapted to accommodate said container, comp-rising a hollow body portion having a shape and size conforming generally to the article` of merchandise to be packaged and having an open base through which said article may be inserted In most cases it willV The projections themselves l and removed, and a ange extending outwardly from the rim of said base throughout at least a substantial proportion of said rim, said body portion having a plurality of spaced inwardly extending projections adjacent said rim and extending over a substantial proportion but not all cf the length of said rim, said projections being formed in the walls of said body portion and affording a partial closure of said base thereby serving to retain said article within said body portion, said container having suficient iiexibility to permit insertion and removal of said article through said partially closed base, the external walls of said body portion corresponding to said projections constituting recesses adapted to acco-mmodate retaining tongues on the rim of the aperture of said display card.

3. A container for packaging an article of merchandise on a display card having an aperture adapted to accommodate said container, comprising a hollow body portion having a shape and size conforming generally to the article of merchandise to be packaged and having an open base through which said article may be inserted and removed, and a flange extending outwardly from the `rim of said base throughout at least a substantial proportion of said rim, said ybody portion having a plurality of spaced inwardly extending projections adjacent said rim and extending over a substantial proportion but not all of the length of said rim, said projections being formed in the walls of said body portion and affording a partial closure of said base thereby serving to retain said article within said body portion, said container having sufficient exibility to permit insertion and removal of said article through said partially closed base, the external walls of said body portion corresponding to said projections constituting recesses adapted to accommodate retaining tongues on the rim of the apertureof said display card, the walls of said recesses remote from said flange being inclined to facilitate insertion and removal of said tongues from said recesses.

4. A container for packaging `an article of merchandise on a display card having an aperture adapted to accommodate said container, comprising a hollow body portion having a shape and size conform-ing generally to the article of merchandise to be packaged and having an open base thro-ugh which said article may be inserted and removed, and aV flange extending outwardly from the rim of said base throughout at least a substantial proportion of said rim and adapted to abut against the under side of said card when said container is inserted through the aperture in said card, said body portion having inwardly extending projections adjacent said rim at opposite sides thereof and extending over a substantial proportional but not all of the length of said rim, said projections being lformed in the walls of said body portion and affording a partial closure `of said base thereby serving to retain said article. within said body poition, said container having sufficient exibility to permit insertion and removal of said article through said partially closed base, the external walls of said body portion corresponding to said projections constituting recesses adapted to accommodate retaining tongues on the rim of the aperture of said display card.

5. A container as set forth in claim 4 in which the Walls of said recesses remote from said iiange are inclined to facilitate insertion and removal of said tongues from said recesses.

6. A container as set forth in claim 4 in which said projections extend along opposite intermediate portions of said rim.

7. A container for packaging an article of merchandise on a display card having an aperture adapted to accommodate said container, comprising a hollow body portion having a shape and size conforming generally to the article yof merchandise to be packaged and having an open base through which said article may be inserted and removed, and a flange extending outwardly from the rim of said base throughout at least a substantial proportion of said rim, said rim having inwardly extending projections at opposite sides thereof and extending over a substantial proportion but not all of the length of said rim, said projections being formed in the walls of said body portion and affording a partial closure of said base thereby serving to retain said article Within said body portion, said container having sufficient flexibility -to permit insertion and removal of said article through said partially closed base, the external walls of said body portion corresponding to said projections constituting recesses adapted to accommodate retaining tongues on the rim of the aperture of said display card.

8. A package for an article, comprising a container having a hollow body portion having a shape and size to accommodate said article therein and having an open base through which said article may be inserted and removed and a flange extending outwardly from the rim of said base throughout at least a substantial proportion of said rim, and a display card having an aperture conforming in shape and size to the shape and size of the base of said container whereby when said container is inserted in said aperture said flange abuts against the under surface of said card, said body portion of said container having a plurality of inwardly extending projections adjacent said rim and extending over a substantial proportion but not all of the length of said rim, said projections being formed in the walls of said body portion and affording a partial closure of said base thereby serving to retain said article within said body portion, said container having suflicient flexibility to permit insertion of said article' through said partially closed base, the external walls of said body portion corresponding to said projections constituting recesses, the walls of said aperture in said display card having tongues extending into said recesses to retain said container in said aperture.

9. A display package for an article of merchandise,

. comprising a container having a hollow body portion conforming in shape and size generally to the shape and size of said article and having an open base through which said article may be inserted and removed and a flange extending outwardly from the rim of said base throughout at least a substantial proportion of said rim, and a display card having an aperture conforming in shape and size to the shape and size of the base of said container whereby when said container is inserted in said aperture said flange abuts against the under surface of said card, said body portion of said container having inwardly extending projections adjacent said rim at opposite sides thereof and extending over a substantial proportion but not all of the length of said rim, said projections being formed in the Walls of said body portion and affording a partial closure of said base thereby serving to retain said article within said body portion, said container having sufficient flexibility to permit insertion of said article through said partially closed base, the external walls of said body portion corresponding to said projections constituting recesses, the walls of said aperture in said display card having tongues extending into said recesses to retain said container in said aperture.

10. A display package for merchandise, comprising a container having a hollow body portion conforming in shape and size generally to the shape and size o-f said merchandise and having an open base through which said article may be inserted and removed and a flange extending outwardly from the rim of said base throughout at least a substantial proportion of said rim, and a display card having an aperture conforming in shape and size to the shape and size of the base of said container whereby when said container is inserted in said aperture said flange abuts against the under surface of said card, said rim of said container having a pair of inwardly .extending projecitons at opposite sides thereof and extending over a substantial proportion but not all of the length of said rim, said projections being formed in the walls of said body portion and affording a partial closure of said base thereby serving to retain said merchandise within said body portion, said container having sufficient flexibility to permit insertion of said article through said partially closed base, the external walls of said body portion corresponding to said projections constituting recesses, the walls of said aperture in said display card having tongues extending into said recesses to retain said container in said aperture.

11. A display package for an article of merchandise, comprising a container having a hollow body portion conforming in shape and size generally to the shape and size of said article and having an open base through which said article may be inserted and removed and a flange extending outwardly fro-rn the rim of said base throughout at least a substantial proportion of said rim, and a display card having an aperture conforming in shape and size to the shape and size of the base of said container whereby when said container is inserted in said aperture said flange abuts against the under surface of said card, said body portion of said container having inwardly extending projections adjacent said rim at opposite sides thereof and extending over' a substantial proportion but not all of the length of said rim, said projections being formed in the walls of said body portion and affording a partial closure of said base thereby serving to retain said article within said body portion, said container having sufl'icient flexibility to permit insertion of said article through said partially closed base, the external walls of said body portion corresponding to said projections constituting recesses, the walls of said aperture in said display card having tongues extending into said recesses to retain said container in said aperture, at least one wall of each of said recesses being inclined to facilitate insertion and removal of said tongues.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,151,503 Dowst Mar. 21, 1939 2,568,625 Harvey Sept. 18, 1951 2,784,539 Silver Mar. 1?. 1957 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent Nol 293l,494 y April 5, 1960 Louis H., Pfohl lt is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should I'eadas corrected below.

Column 2Y line 13 for "perspecitve" read perspective line l2I for "illustration read illustrated column 4, line 5lq for "proportional" read proportion column 6,7 line l5, for "projecitons" read projections Signed and sealed this 20th day of September l960 (SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINE Attesting Oflcer ROBERT C. WATSON Commissioner of Patents 

